First things first: To all participating in this forum: Sorry for the delay in replying but I’ve been promoting the “Ayn Rand in Argentina” news to all Objectivist, atheist and individual liberty defending organizations I know worldwide (there are close to 500 on my record). Now to each participant separately:

Bridget: Your words are talking to my soul. Perhaps, later on, there will be a Dagnar Danneskjöld who will act following Rand’s principle of justice that “Nobody has a right to initiate an act of violence against another person or persons” and the connected right to defense if such an act of violence is started. At that time he can than point at the act of vandalism against “Grito Sagrado”. I foresaw that things like these would happen in my writing “Ayn Rand, I and the Universe” (see below paragraphs) though I thought that this would come up later, in a couple of decades or so. The fact that it happened now is a clear signal that we are father advanced on establishing Objectivism on a worldwide scale than we Objectivists ever dared to think.

From Chapter 7) THE REFUELING OF OUR POWER FOR CREATION

“All this will create a situation of clearly defined conflict. By that time, Objectivists will have to be perfectly aware that a very violent opposition will face them. The old dinosaur, in its dying contortions, will lash out furiously. This will be inevitable. A type of society that existed for at least 4 million years is finally coming to its end. It cannot be expected that it will clear the area without any ugly violence.
“We are viewing the beginning of a truly human type of society. Why we? Because we happen to be at the present state of the evolution of civilization. Anyone who has read and studied history at depth, with a broad view for repetitive details, cannot avoid the persistent notion that there is a red thread running through all events, linking every positive effort of mankind, presenting itself in every productive strife, in every rational intellectual act, in every betterment of life. It can also be noticed in the efforts made to eliminate the horrors which humanity had to withstand in its long road: the dictatorships of the monarchical and feudal times, the slavedoms, the tyrannies, the Inquisitions, the Holocausts of all types and the wars, the plagues, the famines, the pains and the brutality produced by mankind's enemies.”

Teresa:  I never thought that you would ever contact me again (after the disagreement of justice vs. law) and, due to the reason given at the beginning of this reply, my good friend Mario Tinto was faster to provide you with an answer. I think that your Spanglish (with the little help of a pocket Spanish-English dictionary) should suffice to read “El autoritarismo y la improductividad” (See http://www.amazon.com/Autoritarismo-Improductividad-Hispanoamerica-Authoritarianism-Unproductiveness/dp/9500720973/ref=sr_1_12/002-0684010-3830446?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179581437&sr=1-12) and besides meeting a very, very good writer who is also a great historian, Garcia Hamilton’s book is pleasant reading indeed. Unfortunately, no translation into English has been published up to now. Another excellent book, written by three former Marxists (Mendoza, Montaner and the son of Mario Vargas Llosa, who was a lefty himself years ago - converts have amazing arguments in favor of Capitalism once they changed sides) is “Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot” (also obtainable from Amazon, and this time in English!). May I recommend you to read it.

Philip: Thanks for the kudos. I didn’t know that ITOE has been translated into Japanese. I’ve read http://aynrandinlatinamerica.blogspot.com/ and informed Alan Tucker about my article in “Rebirth” for he may want to add it to his “history” of Ayn Rand publications in Latin America. Thanks for the lead.

Mario: Qué sorpresa encontrarte a vos en este antro de perdición, Objetivismo y Capitalismo! Bienvenido! And now back to English: It’s really great to meet you at “Rebirth of Reason”. Look through its pages which are all filled with excellent and deep articles that will give you countless hours of great insight and fruitful reading. Hope to read more of your comments soon.

Again, first things first, to all those interested in this thread and to Philip Coates in particular: News on sales statistics of Ayn Rand books sold up to now by “Grito Sagrado” (by the way, the “Grito Sagrado” -Sacred Cry- is taken, as mentioned in my article, from the Argentine national anthem and the line following it is: “Libertad!, Libertad!, Libertad!” (I think it's not necessary to translate this). Well then: Ayn Rand books sold so far in Argentina: 35.000 copies, with “La Rebelión de Atlas” staying on the bestseller lists in Argentina for 90 days. Copies sold anywhere else so far (Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Perú, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, México, all of Central America, Mexico, a bit in Miami and another bit on the West side of the United Status): 25.000. Not bad for our revolutionary ideas, come to think of.

Mario: You have always so touchingly hearth-warming words for me. Thanks for them.
I saw that you brought to “Quotes” Jefferson’s wonderful words. Congratulations!

Teresa: You’re welcome. The pipe of peace has been lit and burns brightly, as it always should!

together with Frederick Cookinham, who wrote that wonderful book “The Age of Rand”

Philip Coates: Thanks for providing the link aynrandinlatinamerica. I relished every single word Alan Tucker wrote about Latin America, where things seem to move to the brink of a very fundamental change.

In what refers to “The Age of Rand” please accept my recommendation and buy the book. A full analysis would take many pages without replacing the pleasure of reading it. I myself have reached the last 10% of this weighty tome and regretting already that it isn’t even longer. Besides, I can’t advance faster for there are so many parts that just must be read several times for the intellectual pleasure they produce. Every Objectivist, nay, everybody should read this book.

Cookinham loves Ayn Rand dearly but he also saw the few mistakes she made, though these never touched her basics but only a few leaves on the far out branches of that magnificent tree that spends such a pleasant shade. I myself never agreed with her disagreement of a woman becoming president (why shouldn’t a woman become president of a nation? The argument Rand gives in this case is not convincing to me), her dislike for homosexuals (I’m straight myself but who cares about people’s sexual mores and, least of all, Objectivists). A female sexologist once complained about Asimov’s, the big Asimov’s, contention that if we are to live peacefully all together we will have to accept even “weirder” sexways; and her selecting a cigarette as a symbol (I myself having been a chain-smoker over thirty years ago, leaving the damn thing all by myself, with nobody else’s help) finally brought her to a, for my liking, far too early death.

So, leaving aside these few “buts”, Objectivism is THE idea and Cookinham makes a beautiful appeal for it. Hence and once more, please read it! It’s money very well spent!